Introducing my British Songbirds Collection

Don’t you just love watching birds? We have a number of bird feeders spread throughout the garden so that we can see who is visiting from a number of windows. My new British Songbird collection features some well-known garden favourites (blackbird, blue tit, robin, song thrush) as well as others that we might only see at certain times of year, or when out-and-about in different habitats.

Introducing some of the products in my new British Songbird range, including a tea towel, an A4 art print, note cards and coasters.

The inspiration behind the collection

I participated in an Instagram challenge in 2024 to illustrate one British Songbird every day throughout the month of February, in support of the charity Songbird Survival. You can read more about the challenge and why I enjoyed participating in it so much in my blog post British Songbirds: A daily sketchbook challenge.

Some of the resulting illustrations (as well as some birds that I felt were missing to give a rounded selection) have now made it into a new collection, which I’m excited to be launching later this week during the Folksy May Craft Drop event! Each bird is illustrated in ink and watercolour, with a hand-written name label.

I had such fun during the challenge learning a little bit about each bird as I drew it, including whether they were at risk and the sort of habitats that they need. I also got quite captivated by the collective nouns for groups of birds. For example, a group of finches is a charm, a huddle of tits is a banditry and a flock of rooks is either a parliament (not just for owls!), a building, or a clamour - I'd certainly agree with the latter!! Rooks are apparently known as a parliament because of their sociability and also records of odd behaviour, where a group of rooks will stand in a circle around a single rook, in an almost trial-like fashion. Who knew?!

British Songbirds - the collection

A4 Eco Art Print

The Art Print features sixteen British Songbirds that you are likely to see in your garden, or out-and-about in parks or countryside (although some of these birds are now at Red status on the Conservation List, indicating that their populations are in serious decline).

The birds included are: blackbird, blue tit, coal tit, dipper, goldfinch, grasshopper warbler, house martin, house sparrow, kingfisher, magpie, meadow pipit, nuthatch, robin, rook, song thrush and wren.

At the bottom of the print is some general information about British Songbirds and each bird includes information about its habitat and Conservation Status.

The A4-sized art print is printed here in the UK on to sustainable eucalyptus paper stock using eco-friendly toners.

Square Note Cards

I’ve included ten different illustrations of British Songbirds on these note cards, including: blackbird, blue tit, coal tit, goldfinch, house sparrow, kingfisher, magpie, robin, song thrush and wren.

Blank inside for your own message, these sustainably-printed note cards are printed in the UK on recycled cardstock with a kraft envelope. Cards are 15cm x 15cm.

Wooden Coasters

I’ve currently got these lovely wooden coasters in ten designs: blackbird, blue tit, coal tit, goldfinch, house sparrow, kingfisher, magpie, robin, song thrush and wren.

My coasters are made from sustainably-sourced wood with a cork base and UV-resistant coating, printed here in the UK and measuring 10cm x 10cm.

100% Organic Cotton Tea Towel

Featuring the same design as the A4 Art Print, the tea towel features sixteen birds with their habitat and Conservation Status, as well as some general information about British Songbirds.

Printed and stitched in the UK, these 100% organic and unbleached cotton tea towels are generously-sized at 46cm x 71cm and also feature a hanging loop.

Supporting British Songbirds

It is very important that we all do what we can to help support British songbirds, particularly those species that are in decline, which is often due to habitat loss. More than half of songbird species found in the British Isles are threatened, so do what you can to support local populations by putting out bird feeders and leaving corners of your garden to ‘go wild’ to encourage essential insects.

After participating in the February challenge I made a donation to Songbird Survival and I’ve already committed that 15% of any profit from sales in this range will go to the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, who look after a number of important habitats for birds locally to me.

Where to buy

This range is available to buy from my Folksy shop, my website and also look out for it with local stockists, like Puddles (West Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed).